Tremolo attachment



Feb. 12, 1929;

J. H. HAMMOND, JR

TREMOLO ATTACHMENT Filed NOV. 30, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheetllllliillllllllllliilllllilillllll lill Feb. '12, 1929.

J. H. HAMMOND, JR

TREMOLO ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 30, 1925 Patented Feb.12, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HAYS HAML'IOND, JR., OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

TREMOLO ATTACHMENT.

Application filed November 30, 1925. Seria No. 72,100.

This invention r ,lute-s to musical instru nientey oi the L crcussu'etype end especially *l I and remt mirticuieiuy to nnstzited, it the :itinvention to i producing e tn Y it of the dump principal object "Ovideimproved ,fic It 1,1 11010 @11Goy ltr compressional ere prov e onefeature et fle/l :i resonstxr eg ineens e2-ein i o sional We, un f l'tors rogi'rol "Mn of eind with ineens tor producing e treinolo eti'ect.

According' to ene inodii'icntion of the invenr driven mechanism isprovided 20 nbc-ut f 'ed pr" on ot ndiustnrent, and thus u treniolocfgec: nifty be obtained.

1r obiecis According 1 the ino the follow- 3o ing' description taken incommotion with 'the acconti erf g drawings in ur.

Figure i is n top plan View of u mechanism censtruct^d in accordancethis invention;

lllifure f i.: u 'trout per y in secztl "fn in Fifijure 1:

o C n tion et the ineelmnis.; L

3 plan i toni F ure is a bo'i W e detail i: i' ,e Y 'm i e *u ,s n. oidie hier nisni suomi in l1 renie e,

l" u iront elevation oit e detail lisili shown in Figure 2;

Y' i elevation of the nicchi shown in F11 ire el;

`igure is e Vtront elevation of a modified 45 y is e side elevation etpart oi the mechanism shown 1n Figure (i.

Figgfure is a bottoni pien View Vir-rtly iu section teken on line 8 8 ofFigure 7.

Figure 9 is en enlarged detail partly in section taken on line 9 9 ofFigure 7. 7e reference characters refer to like parts in the several`Figures of the drawings.

ln the following descriptions and claims,

psu-ts will be identified by speeilic naines for Y convenience ofexpression, but they are intended to be generic in their application tosimilar parts or the equivalent construction as the art will permit.

In the forni of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 5, the system i"shown es applied to a. grand piano 10 which is provided with the usuelstrings 11 mounted in e frame 12. A. stunde-rd piano action 13 isprovided for :fstrikinr the strings 11 and is operated by the usuel keyboard 14. A sounding board 15 is lm ed beneath the strings 11.

ie pieno is provided with three pedals 16, 17 and 18 mounted in u pedalblock 19 which is supported from a second` block 20 by two uprights 21and 22. The block 20 is carried by the traine Worx of the pieno 10. The'pedals 16 and 17 are connected to two rods Q3 and Q4 which control theusual sustenuto and loud pedal action of the piano.

The pedal. 1G is connected to e rod 25 which has a bearing in the block20 and the upper end of which engages one erin ot e bell crank 26. Thisbell crank is pivoted to e ineinber 2T which slides in a V shaped guide28 and may be clamped in Iany desired position in this guide by ineensof e set screw 30. The guide 2S is rigidly mounted upon the worm wheel31 which is mounted :for rotation upon a bracket 32 carried by thefra-nie Work of the piano. The Worin Wheel 31 meshes with u Worin 33Which is mounted on the shaft of the motor 34 Which is rigidly securedto the 'freine work of the pieno. The motor 34 may be connected to anysuitable source of electric current by the conductors 35 und` 36,through n switch 37 which may be located et any convenient place on theframe Work of the pieno.

The other end of the bell crank Q6 is pivoted to u, link 40 to which isconnected one end of e spring 41, the other end of which is secured toa, bracket 42 carried by the freine Work of the pieno. The other end ofthe link 40 is pivoted to en arm 43 which is rigidly secured to :t shaft44 which is mounted in bearings 45 and 46. Secured to the upper end ofthe shaft 44 is e collar 47 which prevents it from sliding through thebearings. Rigidly secured to the shaft 44 are two arms 50 and 51 towhich ere pivoted tWo links 552 and 53, the other ends of which areconnected to two rods 54-and 55. Pivoted to these rods are two sets ofarms 56 Cil Lll)

a moan position determined by the initial position of the pedal 9T.This, by means of the hell crank 70, link l0, etc., will cause an(')scillation of the modulating reflectors 58 and 59 about. the meanposition which they would be in it' the pedal Q7 is in a centralposition.

ln this way it is seen that tle modulating reflectors may be opened andcli) l in the usual manner by rotating the pedal about the rod 92, andthat hy rotating the pedal in a plane perpendicular to the firstrotation, a tremoio effect may be produced in the modulati'ng reflectorsthe speed of Which can he controlled by the speed of the oscillation otthe pianists foot,

The invention upon which this application s baseifl is broader than thespecific embodi ent shown and described :tor the purpose of ustrating atleast one of the ways in which t may be eniployed. The scope of theinvention is therefore to he understood as not beng limited by thepresent specific descripion. l intend ne limitations other than thosemposed by the claims. i

lVhat is clain'ied is:

l. An instrument for producing damped compressional Waves, comprising aplurality of strings tuned to the notes of the musical scale, aplurality of hammers for setting said strings into vibration bypercussion, a cas ing surroumfling said strings` said casing havingapertures, a plurality ot modulating reflectors rotatably positioned insaid apertures, cach having a compressional Wave reflecting surface onits inner face, means for adjusting said reflectors into desired angulardisplacement, and means for oscillating said reflectors about saidposition of adjustment.

lin instrument for producing damped compressional Waves, comprising` avibratory element, a casing therefor havin controllable apertures, apluri lity `of sound rellcetors rotatably positioned in said aperturesfor controlling the direction of sound Yaves produced, means 'toradjusting said reflectors `into lcsired position, and means foroscillating the reflectors about. said desired position ol adjustment..

2. ln a musical instrument, the combination with means 'tor producingymusical souiul by percussion, of' a casing having opposite disposedcontrollable apertures and substru-l tially soimdproo't intcrmeiiliatebounflary walls. a plurality of modulating reflectors positioned in saidapertures for varialoly reflecting the sound emitted through saidapertures, a pedal operatively connected to said reflectors foradjusting the same into desired angular displacen'ient, and power drivenmeans for oscillating said reflectors.

Ll. ln musical instrun'iei'it, the combination of a plurality otmodulatingr reflectors for directing sound Waves, a control device forvariably adjusting said reflectors, and power driven means forintermittently vibrating the reflectors to produce a tremolo ellect.

5. In a musical instrumentfor producing music., the combination with asource of' sound, a substantially sound proof casing surrounding saidsound source and having apertures therein, and having a plurality of'centrally pivoted metal lined reflectors positioned in. said aperturesand arranged to convtrol the emission of sound therethrough, and powerdriven means for oscillating said rellectors.

6. In a musical i1 strument, a source of sound, a casinosurrounding saidsource, said casing having oppositely disposed apertures andsubstantially soundproot intern'iediate boundary Walls, a plurality ofcentrally pivotcd metal lined reflectors positioned in each of said aperturcs, means for. adjusting the angular-ity of said reflectors withrespect to said sound source, and power driven means 'for oscillatingsaid adjusting means.

T. In a musical instrument, thc combination with a. rcsonating chamber,means positioned therein for producing damped com pressional waves, andmeans for controlling emission of 'the waves 'from the chamber toproduce musical sound, of' means for vibrating` said emissioncontrolling means,

S. lnva musical instrument, the combination ot a resonating chamberhaving a sound insulating wall for suppressing sound, a layer of soundreflecting material on the inner face of said Wall, a vibratory elementWithin said chamber, a plurality of modulating reflectors positioned inother Walls ot the chamber for reflecting sound Waves produced by saidelement in desired directions, and means for vi* lorating thereflectors.

9. An instrument for producing damped compressional waves, comprising aplurality ot strings tuned to the notes of the musical scale, aplurality of hammers for setting` said strings into vih 'ation bypercussion, a substantially sound proof casing surrounding said strings,said casing having apertures, a plurality ot' centrally pivotedu'iodulating reflectors positioned in said apertures for variablyreflecting sound emitted through said apertlu'es, a pedal operativelyconnected to the reflectors Vtor adjust ing said reflectors into desiredangular displacement, and means for oscillatii'ig said reflectors aboutsaid position of adjustment.

l0. An instrument for producing damped compressional Waves, comprising avibratory element, a substantially soundproof casing therefor havingcontrollable apertures, a plurality of centrally pivoted soundreflectors positioned in se id apertures for controlling the directionof sound Waves produced, a pedal operatively connected to the reflectorsllt) ior adjusting said reflectors into desired position and ineans'oroscillating the reflectors apertures for variably reflecting the soun-d`emittedv through said apertures,a pedal, a bell crank lever operativelyinterconnecting the pedal and the reflectors tor adjusting thereflectors into desired angular displacement, and a povter driven gearfor Oscillating the pivot of said/bell crank.

l2. In a musical instrument, the combination with a combination oilplurality of modulating reliectors for directing sound Waves, a controlVdevice, ay connection between said control device andA said reflect-orsincludingl a bell crank lever, and a power driven gear forintermittently vibrating the pivot of sai d bell crank to impartvibrator-y movement to the reflectors.

13. Ina musical instrument, the combination with a resonating chamber,means positioned therein tor producing damped coinpressional Waves, andmeans for controlling emission ot theV Waves romthe chamber ,to producemusical sound, of aV pedal for adjusting said controlling` means, andineens for modifying' the adjustment of the controlling means.

14. In musical instrument, the combination ot a resonating chamberhaving a sound insulating Wall for suppressing sound, a layer ofsound'reflecting material on the inner tace of said Walla vibratoryelement Within said chamber, a plurality oit modulating reflectorspositioned'in'other Walls of the chamber for reflecting sound Wavesproduced by said element in desired directions, a pedal operativelyconnected' o the reliectors and means to modify the adjustment oit thereflectors.

l5. In a musical instrument the combinationv with' a piano ot' a casinghaving sound openings,-a plurality of movable closures tor sai dopenings, and means for oscillating said closures about a given medianposition.

lll. In a' musical string instrument means for supprcssing the soundproduced thereby including a casing having openings 'for tile emissionot sound, a plurality of movable closures for variably controlling theemission of sound through saidv openings,land means for oscillating saidclosures about a deinite median position` 17. In a piano a plurality ofstrings, a sounding board adjacent said strings, a casing having soundopenings and including a siibstantiall."7 soundproof layer 'foreii'ectively suppressing sound, a pair of groups of normally openedcentrally pivoted closures for said openings, each group of closuresbeing parallel with and spaced from the sounding board and forming whenclosed in oombination with the casing a pair of resonant chambers,manually operable means forL actuating said closures to vary theintensity of musical sound emitted from the instrument, and manuallycontrolled means for oscillating said closures.l j Y 18. In a musicalinstrument ot the percussive type the Combination with tuned strings ota casing having oppositely disposed apcr tures, controllable closuresfor said apertures, said casing having boundary Walls intermediate saidapertures, each provided with a .layer of substantiallysoundprootmaterial,

and means for oscillating said closures.

19. ln a musicall instrument ot thepercussive type thezcombination withtuned strings for producing sound', ot a casing having oppositelydisposed apertures, controllable closures for said apertures-said'casing having boundary Walls intern'iediate said apertures, cachprovidedy With a layer of substantially soundproofmaterial, means forvariably positioning said closures, and automatic means controlled atthe Will ot anv operator for oscillating said closures about apredetermined JGHN HAYS llfieltlillON Jn.

